Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Touting a Message of Falling Crime Rates, Quan's Car is Broken Into

OAKLAND | MAYOR | Maybe elected officials in Oakland should think about taking public transportation? On Monday night, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan had her car vandalized, said her spokesman. Quan's vehicle sustained one broken window, but nothing was stolen, said Sean Maher. Quan was attending a community meeting in the Oakland Hills Monday night when the incident occurred.

Quan’s political rival, Councilmember Larry Reid spilled the beans Tuesday afternoon during a Community and Economic Development Committee meeting. The tidbit was squeezed between a rant over enticing business development to Hegenberger Road and the perception among many, he says, that Oakland is too dangerous to visit. "Even my mayor had her car broken into last night," Reid said.

The act of vandalism is quickly becoming a badge of honor for Oakland mayoral candidates. Last December, Joe Tuman, a university professor running his second bid for the mayor's office this year, also had his automobile vandalized in Oakland. It was the second occurrence, he says, in the previous six months. Tuman used his poor luck to his advantage by parlaying it into a fundraising vehicle.

For Quan, the incident is an unfortunate development for her re-election bid, which rests on convincing voters Oakland is in a state of economic renewal and lowering crime rates.

I think I understand. Joe Tuman is getting good publicity after his car was vandalized. Accordingly Quan had to rise to the situation with the appropriate political response, no doubt using a city employee as her "problem manager."

And how many other cars at the Chabot Observatory were also vandalized? Just the Mayor's of course.

If the people who broke into Jean Quan's car had stolen and kidnapped her and then held her for ransom, would anybody have been willing to pay even one penny to get her back!!!

More specifically, if I was the police chief of Oakland and got a report that Jean Quan had been kidnapped, rather than spending time, money, and manpower trying to get back, instead I would say let the kidnappers keep her, and preferably forever.